The Bane Chronicles

alicew - The Bane Chronicles is a really useful informatino for the people who reads the City of Bones seires or the Infernal Devices series. It a 11 short stories talking about Magnus Bane, the well known warlock. Each of the story is one of Magnus's most memoriable adventures he had been through. This book hasn't really caught my attention like the City of Bones series, and I almost don't want to finish this book. Overall, I like the stories of Bane, but I think the Author has been writing too much about this whole series. A t last, this book was ok, and I feel like I have learned quite a lot about Magnus. I would reccomend the people who loves the Mortal Instuments series to read it because you can get to know more about some Characters in the book. I wouldn't recommend it to the people who haven't read the Mortal Instuments series since you won't quite get the Magnus humor and all that.

July 18, 2011
In her foray into middle-grade fiction, McMann (Cryer's Cross) delivers a fun mix of magic and science with a retro SF novel whose setting echoes classic artificial dystopias of the 1960s like Logan's Run and Make Room! Make Room! In the city of Quill, all signs of creativity are shunned, and any children who so much as sing or draw are declared "Unwanted" when they turn 13 and sent off to be killed. When Alex is culled from his family and sent to die, he is surprised to discover that the Unwanteds are actually taken to a hidden city called Artimé, where they are not only trained in the traditional arts, but also in the magic that these arts unlock. McMann juggles a handful of point-of-view characters nicely (focusing largely on Alex), showing their fear and wonder as they learn more about their world. The subplotsâincluding young romance and murderous conspiraciesâare skillfully interwoven, and if some of Quill's harshness borders on caricature (the city makes Sparta seem decadent), it serves the story well. Ages 8â12.

September 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-While he does not have a starring role, Magnus Bane, Warlock extraordinaire, is one of the most popular characters in Cassandra Clare's "Mortal Instruments" and "Infernal Devices" series (both S. & S.). His fabulous lifestyle, scandalous love affairs, outrageous parties, exotic excursions, and unique position with Downworlders (vampires, demons, werewolves), Mundanes (humans), and Shadow Hunters (half-angel demon hunters) are only briefly touched upon-until now. Fans of Clare's books will eagerly devour the 10 short stories, which were previously only available as individual ebooks. The tales are organized chronologically, with the majority of them taking place during the Victorian-era "Infernal Devices" series; two feature Bane and Alec, including their hilarious first date. Every story is preceded by a quotation and a one-page comic, drawn in manga-style, highlighting an important scene. Clare has teamed up with authors Maureen Johnson and Sarah Rees Brennan to flesh out the lengthy life of Bane, giving readers a unique insight into the characters and events they know from Clare's other books. At the same time, readers unfamiliar with the "Shadow Hunters" series will easily be able to pick up this book and enjoy it without much confusion. The stories are equally engaging and are organized well, seamlessly building on one another. An essential purchase for any library that has a Cassandra Clare following.-Marissa Lieberman, East Orange Public Library, NJ

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.